Allegedly Indonesian Soldier in Russia's Army Films Himself in Kostyantynivka - Jakarta Hasn't Confirmed His Identity

A video showing a man in military uniform has gone viral on social media. In it, he names himself "Hendra" and says, in halting Russian, "сейчас меня Константиновка" - grammatically broken for "I'm in Kostyantynivka now." The video was published in the report by Indonesia's Tribun Timur news network on YouTube:

The video was uploaded to the Instagram account @omkimoficial on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Kostyantynivka has been one of the war's fiercest battle zones. Indonesian viewers picked up on the name "Hendra" and concluded he is a compatriot. As of this report, there has been no official statement from any authority - including Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs - to confirm his identity or citizenship.

The Video Surfaced Mid-Investigation

On August 27, 2026, Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service named eight Indonesian citizens it says were recruited into Russia's. Four days later, on August 31, Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was still verifying that disclosure, with spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang stating that "information regarding the identity, citizenship status, recruitment process, and the form of involvement of the individuals named still needs to be confirmed further." The "Hendra" video surfaced the very next day, while that verification was still underway.

A Safe Way Out

Indonesians and other foreign nationals lured into Russia's armed forces have an option to safely escape the batthefield with Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project. Find out more details about how Russia's army servicemen can save their lives here.